FROM FUNDRAISING AND GRANT-MAKING TO MOVEMENT BUILDING. Vision, Challenges and First Steps

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1 FROM FUNDRAISING AND GRANT-MAKING TO MOVEMENT BUILDING Vision, Challenges and First Steps

2 CRY VISION A politically independent, secular, non-violent peoples movement for the rights of India s children encompassing diverse segments, each pledging their particular strengths, working in partnership for their common cause

3 CRY s ROLE Voice of children Voice of authority, domestically and internationally, on the subject of child rights and the situation of children in India Incubator of initiatives working towards building peoples movements Integrator, synergiser, coalition builder across segments, geographies

4 GAP BETWEEN VISION AND CURRENT REALITY Movement building through community empowerment alliance building children s participation a reality at varying stages of evolution among target underprivileged/disenfranchised communities Negligible effort and/or results, however, in this direction among urban, educated, affluent / middle-class segments

5 CONSEQUENCES Increasing disconnect between CRY s persona and approach in the two universes Activist slant among target communities vs. generally passive recipient among resource provider communities Lack of donor/volunteer awareness of the ends they support Lack of adequate capacity to service donor/volunteer needs that go beyond the basics of financial support and/or events Lack of interaction/community-building among donors Low donor/volunteer involvement / loyalty Lack of interface, synergy between CRY franchise in the two universes Lack of mandatory value/attitude/behaviour congruence across partner lives Lack of differentiation in perceptions of CRY vis-àvis implementing and/or relief/service oriented agencies

6 NEEDS / OPPORTUNITIES Mechanisms to channelise non-financial donor/volunteer support Means of activating attitude / behaviour change beyond tokenism Linkages, communication, contact between resource provider and client universes Channels to harness citizen action on behalf of child rights Critical mass of all CRY s partners across segments Synthesis of CRY knowledge, experience across issues, segments to enhance effectiveness of own/sector impact and CRY positioning

7 ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Managing the transition from charity to social transformation Donor preference for charity CRY personality/perception shift Especially in a country where basic social services and infrastructure are scarce across socio-economic segments Consequent impact on resource availability, growth Lack of knowledge, understanding, experience in mobilizing urban middleclass and affluent communities Requisite structure, staffing, skills Sources of funding for urban middleclass movement building that is not necessarily market-friendly

8 SYNERGOS RTC INPUT OAXACA MAY 2003 Sharper understanding of and conviction about the unique role, opportunities and responsibilities of foundations Especially an indigenous foundation with national scale, cross-sectoral reach and equity And the autonomy and insulation provided by CRY s mass public support Endorsement of objectives and approach Harmonising perception-reality gap a must JUST DO IT!

9 MAKING THE TRANSITION 25 th anniversary provided a unique opportunity to: Re-visit vision, strategy at all levels within CRY and with partners Access and goodwill with key stakeholders and media National parliamentary elections posed a significant possible distraction or potential bandwagon

10 MAKING THE TRANSITION 2 day board, employee retreat in January to present strategy and get buy-in Rationale for shift Linkages to history, evolution Endorsement from founding members Launch campaign Campaign symbol Name change

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12 MAKING THE TRANSITION THE CRY ELECTION CAMPAIGN Children s manifesto in 7 languages Pre-election meetings with 31 senior political figures across the secular spectrum Enlistment of support from: All donors in India and overseas 171 NGO grantees, 2000 communities, 2300 alliance partners across 15 states Advocacy groups Volunteers Media

13 MAKING THE TRANSITION THE CRY ELECTION CAMPAIGN Across every available channel face-to-face contact in clubs, associations, shopping malls voter registration and sensitisation campaigns direct mail mini-events celebrity endorsements in-programme placement on India s most popular soap opera CRY co-branded weekly radio talk-show BBC documentary CRY authored editorials in print media school contact programme the CRY website other online media CRY greeting cards even stationery and clothing

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25 MAKING THE TRANSITION POST-ELECTION CRY authored editorials on new coalition government s Common Minimum Programme and first national budget India s first ever telethon on Children s Day (November 14) Simultaneous ground events in 3 metro cities, volunteer action centres overseas and project communities Pinwheel merchandise

26 MAKING THE TRANSITION RESULTS 59 significant media stories 220,000 charters signed thus far Organisation conviction on shift to advocacy Inter-departmental cohesiveness, collaboration and synergy Achieved seamless re-positioning from fundraising + grant-making agency to serious advocacy player Invitation to join Education ministry advisory boards At no incremental cost